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How to screw South America At the Summit of the Americas, President Bush called Prime Minister Jean Chretien of Canada, who speaks French and English, "amigo," and during his speech he read HIV-AIDS as "H-I-V-A-I-D aids." Is anyone besides me a little bit concerned? Besides Bush's rookie lingo, this entire Americas-free-trade stuff honestly confuses the heck out of me. Should we support our own country and say that extending free trade from Alaska to Argentina will be the best? Why not, when the United States accounts for 76 percent of the hemisphere's economic output? Or, should we side with the socialist angel on our shoulder who says, "Fight for the people and stand up for the environment!" The true battle is between accepting how the real world is, or striving for the hypothetical utopia. The United States was the gorilla at the summit, thus it should be no surprise that the only reason we want hemisphere free trade is because it will economically benefit us. Forget all that "neighbors and friends" nonsense that Bush advocates. The fact of the matter is that South America has all that we lack here in North America - the natural resources and space for rule-less multinational corporations. In order to retain the lifestyle whirlpool we all enjoy, we should support the S.S.A.A.- that is, the Screw South America Agreement. Jessica Lee is an environmental science sophomore. She can be reached at perspectives@wildcat.arizona.edu.
Protesters understand the frustration Friday afternoon, my brother drove a friend downtown to update his passport. Much to my brother's dismay, he was stopped by a police officer. "What are you doing down here?" came the gruff bark of the sweaty police officer. "Uh, buh, duh, passport," came the startled response. Luckily, this was intelligible to the police officer, and he waved them through. My brother thought he and the cop were having a frustrating time. At the same moment Friday afternoon, an exasperated Abigail Martinez was making 60 cents an hour sewing khaki pants in El Salvador, according to The New York Times. I guess it's all relative - their levels of frustration, that is. It was for people like Martinez that protesters gathered in the hot sun Friday afternoon in front of the Federal building. They perceive the Summit of the Americas, held in Canada, as just another opportunity for the travesty of sweatshops to grow. But the perspective of the police officer is interesting as well. They are paid to stand in the sun with the apprehension of predictable injuries if a riot breaks out. It's not a comfortable job. And it might be interesting to see how many of them would have been there that afternoon for 60 cents an hour. Laura Winsky is a political science senior also majoring in Spanish. She can be reached at perspectives@wildcat.arizona.edu.
Don't break down barriers Globalization - good or bad? The word itself is defined so many ways by so many different people that it's difficult to form an opinion on the topic. I can offer little more than to say that while there are many problems that inexorably go along with the expanding influence of multinational corporations, free trade is an absolutely essential component to spreading freedom and democracy throughout the world. Am I saying that the national sovereignty should be sacrificed for the good of corporations? Absolutely not. In fact, that is the most significant problem involved with breaking down trade barriers, and one of the reasons I have been on the fence of the free-trade issue. What I am saying is that without the spread of capitalism, freedom and self-determination cannot be realized in the Third World. Capitalism is far from perfect but freedom is not. And no other system has been developed that even remotely allows for the individual autonomy and economic self-realization that capitalism does. Clearly, it is the task of economists and trade experts to address human rights and sovereignty concerns caused by rapidly expanding capitalism. But every time they try to get together to do that, the city is vandalized by anti-progress zealots purporting to speak on behalf of people, many of whose lives have been drastically improved by the jobs that the companies provide. Tom McDermott is a UA law student. He can be reached at perspectives@wildcat.arizona.edu.
Free markets, enslaved people Do free markets make free people? The answer is sometimes. Other times, companies in third-world countries enslave people. They are left with no option but to work a job that doesn't pay them enough to live - provides little if any benefits - and forces them to work in sub-human conditions. But as Jimmy Buffet said, "Occupational hazard beats, occupation just not around." This issue is hot right now. Hotter than a firecracker and hotter than the sweaty brow of an El Salvadoran laborer working for 60 cents an hour stitching the extra pocket on your GAP cargo shorts. It was for this cause that Students Against Sweatshops risked jail time to lock themselves to the UA Administration building, and it is the same cause that sparked the WTO riots in Seattle. The reason that many Americans are angry is because the "suits"in power are using one of our most holy words against us - freedom. They refer to sweatshops in third-world countries as a free market, as if businesses deserve freedom before individuals do. They don't. The answer is to find a peaceful medium - where laborers are paid and treated fairly, and corporations still make profit. It's not easy, but it can be done. It must be done to protect human rights around the world, to sustain the health of our economy, and to protect the word "free" from being used as mere propaganda. Cory Spiller is a history and creative writing senior. He can be reached at perspectives@wildcat.arizona.edu.
Listen to the protesters
Who ever said this generation did not care about the great issues? Oh, wait, that was me. But I am wrong. There is a group of very brave people in this city - in our country - and all over the world who take time out of their busy lives to care deeply about the labor and environmental conditions of the entire globe. The media would like to make it seem like this group is under the influence of socialist vandals, but the majority of the protesters during the Summit of the Americas are articulate, caring and non-violent demonstrators. I admire both their actions and the stands they are taking on trade issues. It cannot be denied that the United States and other wealthy nations exploit the natural resources, the people and the economic conditions of less fortunate countries. It is also important to remember that American corporations manufacture their goods abroad to avoid labor and environmental standards enacted in this country by activists. That is why it is so important that there is an active and vocal watchdog community working to force the more powerful to be socially responsible. After the protests are done, the business world and the concerned global citizens must come together and work to make sure the earth is not harmed and wealth is not built on the backs of the less powerful. The average observer can push that process along by putting pressure on our government to force the business world to listen to the concerns of activists, and to enforce global trade standards that are fair and enforceable. Lora J. Mackel is a history senior. She can be reached at perspectives@wildcat.arizona.edu. |
